The Gemara says that at the End of Days, Hashem will shecht the Yetzer Ha’rah in front of us. Why will He do this? Isn’t the Yetzer Ha’rah a shli’ach of Hashem??Q:
A:
In the Gemara there is a statement that li’asid la’vo, Hashem will bring out the Yetzer Ha’rah and shecht it. We must realize that the Gemara is telling us what’s going to be, in the form of a pantomime – a drama – in order to teach us certain lessons. We are being taught that in the future, Hakodosh Boruch Hu will take the Yetzer Ha’rah and show it to us and say, “Look at this neveilah. Is this something that really should have tempted you?!” Let’s say somebody was tempted by a certain woman who tried getting him to fall in love with her. A forbidden woman, let’s say. So in the next world, they’re going to bring this woman in front of you, the way she is now. They’ll take her from the cemetery – a pail full of worms and dirt. And they’ll tell you, “This is the woman that you were once attracted to. For these worms and this dirt, you were willing to sell your neshama?!”
Now, you must know that this is a pantomime that is described in order to teach people what the Yetzer Ha’rah really is in this world. To teach us that it’s nothing. And if you don’t understand that – if you don’t make that idea true in your mind – then it’s a wasted lesson.
Let’s say the most beautiful actress in the world would meet you in the street and say, “Young man, I like you. Maybe you’ll come visit me?” So you should think that she smells like a dead cat that’s been rotting in the street for ten days in the July sun. If you understand the Gemara that you’re quoting, then you’ll realize that that’s how she smells. You won’t have to wait till the next world when Hakodosh Boruch Hu shechts the Yetzer Ha’rah to realize this truth. Yes, that’s how she smells. That’s how you should think. You must train yourself. And when you see a yeshiva man – or any frum Jew – you should imagine that he smells like sweet smelling roses. The Gemara says that. “Asidin bachurei Yisroel she’lo ta’amu ta’am cheit, she’yitnu rai’ach tov ka’livanon.” (Berachos 43b) When you see a yeshiva man you must train yourself to think that you are smelling the most sweet smelling roses. And when you see somebody else – something forbidden – perfumed and trying to smell like roses, you should think that you’re smelling a filthy garbage can. I’ll tell you what you should really do. What should you do? Lean over and sniff the nearest garbage can. Sniff it. Don’t just leave it up to your imagination. And that’s the way to train yourself to understand the truth of this Gemara. You must train yourself to recognize that the Yetzer Ha’rah is nothing. You have to shecht the Yetzer Ha’rah in this world by understanding that it’s nothing. Nothing at all.
TAPE #994
